1. Two dates of Bonaventure
are recorded in medieval sources—his death (15 July 1274) and
the year he was licensed by John of Parma (1248); all other dates are
determined by inference. Our chronology follows Bougerol 1988,
Quinn 1972, Quinn 1982, and Monti 1994.

6. Condemnation of William of
St. Amour, Chartularium Universitatis Parisiensis I,
no. 287-88: 329-33. In Chartularium Universitatis Parisiensis
I, no. 293: 339, referring to Odo of Douai and Christian of Beauvais,
Alexander IV ordered “that the Friar Preachers and Minors
present at Paris, masters and their students, and especially by name,
Friars Thomas of Aquino of the Order of Preachers and Bonaventure of
the Order of Minors, doctors of theology, with maximum effort they
shall receive them into the academic community and to the University
of Paris, and expressly they shall receive these doctors as Masters;
and that, while they are in Paris, they shall publicly make this same
promise, and, in accordance with the aforesaid ordinance they shall
attempt to have those doctors received by the University, both masters
and students, with good faith; and they shall not plan or agree to
anything contrary to the foregoing.” Christian of Beauvais did
so, Chartularium Universitatis Parisiensis I, no. 317:
366.

10. F. van Steenberghen,
Aristotle in the West, 162: “In short, St.
Bonaventure's philosophy is an eclectic Aristotelianism with
neo-Platonic tendencies, put at the service of an Augustinian
theology.” 159: “The difference between the two lies in
this: St. Thomas had meditated deeply on philosophical problems and
had carved out a solid system of philosophy before using it
in theology; while St. Bonaventure did not do this to the same
extent.” The existence of God Bonaventure “treated in
summary fashion.” Cf. La philosophie au xiiie siecle
(Louvain: 1966): 268-271. E. Gilson, The Philosophy of St.
Bonaventure, tr. Trethowan, Sheed (Paterson, NJ: 1965):
445.

13. “Rarely if ever
has the relation between the philosophical doctrine of being and the
trinitarian dogma of faith been worked out with such elaborate
care” (Z. Hayes, “Introduction,” Disputed
Questions on the Mystery of the Trinity: 27).

23. Bonaventure, In II
Sent., d. 12, art. 2, q.1 (ed. Quaracchi, II, 303a-b). The term
‘physical matter’ is being employed instead of simply
‘matter’ because matter in its essence is actually broader
than physical matter. Insofar as matter denotes a principle of
potentiality, matter is found even in non-physical entities such as
angels and human souls. See section IV, rational creatures.

51. Bonaventure, De
mysterio trinitatis 1.1 arg. 11-20 (ed. Quaracchi V 46b-47b). The
disjunctive transcendentals are: posterior and prior; from another and
not from another; possible and necessary; relative and absolute;
qualified and absolute; from another and from itself; by participation
and essentially; potential and actual; composite and simple; and
changeable and unchangeable.

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